Do you need another reason to visit Comporta? Find out about the Stilted Pier of Carrasqueira

In case you know Comporta, you might have already seen or heard about the stilted pier at Carrasqueira. If you haven’t, there is still plenty of time. This is one of the most ravishing secrets of the region and the best place to photograph the sunset - no doubts about that. Located close to the fishing village of Carrasqueira, the pier was designed as a way of accessing the boats during low tide.

Due to the low and muddy banks of the Sado river, access to the vessels was oftentimes made impossible when the tide was low. For that reason, the community built a wooden pier that crisscrosses above the salt marsh. This walkway system also serves as a dock where fishing nets, equipment, and the day’s catch are moved about.

The sunset at the pier

The anchorage of the Stilted Pier of Carrasqueira is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the municipality. This popular architecture masterpiece, erected in the 50s and 60s, is the only one of its kind in Europe. The famous pier was built on seemingly fragile, irregular wooden stilts that form a breathtaking skyline at sundown.

Despite being a tourist attraction, the pier still serves its original purpose of rising above the mud and facilitating access to the boats. It is one of the most sought-after places by photography lovers, who head there at the golden hour when the sun sets at sea flooding the Stilted Pier of Carrasqueira with a magical light against Arrábida and the Sado estuary.

Carrasqueira is a small rural and fishing hamlet on the left bank of the Sado river estuary. It’s part of the Comporta parish in the Alcácer do Sal municipality. Tróia peninsula sits westward with its beautiful white sand stretches.